TINLEY PARK, IL — Yearly, Dominic Kowalczyk asks himself the identical query. Why.
For years, the Tinley Park native has spent weeks turning his house and two others he owns into the Tinley Park Christmas Home, which pulls numerous guests and vacation fans to his entrance yard to soak up his festive handiwork.
By now, Kowalczyk estimates he has thrown lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} into the annual undertaking, which grows in measurement and splendor yearly in a method or one other. However after so a few years of bringing vacation pleasure to Tinley Park and the encircling Southland area, Kowalczyk says he has no plans of shutting the undertaking down.
Even when which means the proprietor of the three homes round 17321 Avon Lane questions his sanity yr after yr.
Every year, work on the Christmas Home begins round Halloween and steadily builds due to the work of a crew of between 70 and 80 individuals who contribute to the Christmas Home’s creation. For the higher a part of the previous two weeks, crews have labored every day to get the home prepared for its debut, which is coming — if the whole lot goes based on plan — by Thursday night time.
“It’s a huge, huge enterprise,” Kowalczyk informed Patch on Tuesday. “No one realizes how a lot work it’s till they arrive and assist arrange for a day.”
He added: “It’s fairly an operation. …it’s not an affordable passion.”
By the point the Christmas Home takes form, greater than 200,000 lights may have been put in, 300 to 400 collectible figurines may have been put into place, and lights may have been programmed by means of 15 completely different controllers that synchronized with the music that accompanies the entire show.
Even when he doesn’t buy something new so as to add on, Kowalczyk estimates he spends between $4,000 and $5,000 simply to repaint figures, substitute mild strands, and buy zip ties and staples to maintain the whole lot working the way in which it must.
Even contemplating what number of years he has put the Christmas Home on show, Kowalczyk says he can’t totally respect the total impact of the undertaking till it’s accomplished. Vacation shows have been in Kowalczyk’s blood since he was a toddler and first arrange his first Christmas show that centered round somewhat plastic prepare at age 5 or 6.
What began as a normal-sized vacation ornamental show grew every year till the show that now encompasses three full heaps took form. With every passing yr, Kowalczyk has seen extra assist are available in from associates, household and strangers alike. Over time, the home has picked up its share of media consideration, together with showing on the Nice Christmas Gentle Battle in 2013.
The episode on the Tinley Park resident drew 8 million viewers, Kowalczyk mentioned. Since then, it has simply gotten larger and led Kowalczyk to buy the properties on both facet of his residence. He arrange rent-to-own agreements together with his brother and considered one of his associates – simply to supply extra actual property to proceed to develop the show.
“It’s simply loopy how a lot consideration it will get,” Kowalczyk mentioned.
However with all of the onerous work comes a significant group payoff. Every year, Kowalczyk makes a donation to Together We Cope, a Tinley Park not-for-profit. Final yr, the Tinley Park Christmas Home donated $35,000 to the group and partnered with American Sale, which matched the primary $10,000 in donations made to Collectively We Cope.
American Sale can also be donating a portion of gross sales across the holidays to the not-for-profit, making the efforts of the huge vacation lighting undertaking much more price it for these concerned.
As he prepares for one more season of vacation site visitors go in entrance of the show he created, all the time enjoys the wonderment with which individuals view the lights and decorations that make up the festive surroundings at his house. Every year, {couples} have gotten engaged on the web site, the place a guestbook consists of the signatures and hometowns of individuals from extra locations than Kowalczyk can identify.
“The sensation is nice, and Christmas decorations are one of many few issues that enchantment to everyone,” Kowalczyk informed Patch. “You possibly can be a 4-year-old child, a grandma, or a biker dude, and it brings everyone into the (vacation) spirit.”
He added: “It’s simply turn out to be a staple for folks, and having folks come out and say that it’s turn out to be their custom makes it price it …it’s an excellent feeling to know that that is one thing that individuals look ahead to.”
